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The everyday grind to get healthy in the midst of family, friends, and school!

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Trying to Explain Myself

Posted by Ryan Adverderada on November 25, 2011

How do I put this into a short story.  Frankly, I want to say it quickly because I don’t want to dwell on it right now.  Below is something I put together for another site.  Yes, I have also taken on another site, this one more person and dealing with my inner thoughts.  Hope you can understand it from this.  Don’t worry, I promise I’ll elaborate on what exactly happened this coming week.

Knowing you are gone hasn’t gotten any easier. It’s been less than a week since you said you wanted to leave and I’ve used school, work, and all my other responsibilities to shield me from the pain. Away from home I get the bubble I need to keep going. When I get home, that is entirely a different story. I haven’t cried in a couple of days but it hasn’t been easy keeping it together emotionally. I see your pictures on my desk, on my phone, on my computer every single day, and yet I can’t bring myself to get rid of them.

Truth is that I can’t let go of us. I know you said that I should let go already but deep down I can’t. I can’t let go of the last 9 years, nor can I let go of the amazing moments we’ve shared. I’m hoping that you’ll return my calls or texts. I’m hoping that you’ll talk to me and that we can work this out. I’m afraid of how I’ll turn out emotionally if we don’t. I’ve always been a positive person, but that was because there was an us. I don’t know if that will stay the same way if there is no longer an us.

I miss you, I need you, but most of all I love you.

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Let’s Catch Up

Posted by Ryan Adverderada on November 24, 2011

It’s been a long time huh?  Heck it’s been about two months already.  My apologies on the sever lack of focus, both on the blog and in life.  So let’s catch up shall we?

Since I’ve last been on here I’ve been pushing through in school and working towards the end of the semester.  I’m taking a full load of classes and it has required quite a bit of perseverance not to quit.  The student government stuff has taken up a lot of my time.  If you combine the time I spend in my office with my classes, I’m on campus about 40 hours a week.  It’s pretty ridiculous sometimes!

I was elected as the chair of the University of Hawaii Student Caucus in September.  I oversee a delegation from the 10 University of Hawaii system campuses.  I’m honored to hold the position and proud that it is the first time that a community college student has done so.  I guess it helps to know how to stoke the egos of others without compromising much!

So I went to Orlando at the end of October!  I was there with Jen and a couple other classmates for a college journalism conference.  It was very fun and I learned a whole lot.  I also met some amazing people who I am trying desperately to keep in touch with.  Overall, an amazing experience.  In Orlando we visited Universal Studios and got to experience the world of Harry Potter.  I must say, butterbeer is magnificent and the roller coasters there is top notch.  I rode every possible coaster.  I’m very much into the scary coasters that flip, twist, and drop you at every moment.

That about brings us to the present.  It is Thanksgiving for all the Americans of the bunch!  Happy Thanksgiving to you all, even if you aren’t celebrating it!  I’ll be back tomorrow with a bit of a reveal.  I’m saving it for Black Friday…fittingly!

Enjoy the day folks, hope you have a wonderful time!

Posted in community, stories, stress | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Sleep No-No: 6 Items To Stay Away From

Posted by jenkakio on September 30, 2011

There are four staple rules in a diet lifestyle change:  drink a lot of water, eat more fruits & veggies, exercise, and sleep more.  Today, we will be talking about beauty sleep.  Usually age will determined how much sleep is need.  This chart is a rough estimate on how much sleep each age groups needs.  Many doctors on WebMD believes that this is the average amount and people shouldn’t be sleeping any less than what the chart is recommending.

Age Average amount of sleep per day
Newborn up to 18 hours
1-12 months 14–18 hours
1-3 years 12-15 hours
3-5 years 11-13 hours
5-12 years 9-11 hours
Adolescents 9-10 hours
Adults, including elderly 7-8 (+) hours
Pregnant women 8 (+) hours

There are many effects that happens to oneself when sleep deprived, like, lack of mental awareness/sharpness, increased accidents, and lack of sex drive.  Also, not to mention the most important effect that lack of sleep does to your face, which is ugliness.  They don’t call it beauty sleep for nothing.  I’m kidding, lack of sleep doesn’t make people uglier, but it does age the face dramatically.

To ensure long deep sleep, here is 6 foods that should be avoided for a well balanced night of sleep.

1.  Aged Cheese (most stinky cheese) like Parmesan or Asiago.

Who knew cheese could steal your Z’s?!?  Aged Cheeses are filled with amino acid tyramine, which is a chemical that can be found in plant and animal.  It is also the key ingredient in keeping people up at night.  Cheese should be eaten no later than 3PM to insure all the amino acid tyramine to be out of the body before sleepy time.

2.  Milk Chocolate

Say goodbye to those chocolate molten lava cakes.  Actually, this should shock anyone that chocolate is a stimulant, in particularly milk chocolate.  MC has tyrosine, which becomes into a type of dopamine.  Some people after eating MC gain almost a euphoric sensation.  Just like cheese, chocolate shouldn’t be eaten after lunch time (12PM).  Sorry ladies, please don’t hate me.

3.  Spicy Foods like Buffalo Wings or Thai Curry.

 

Spicy food is known to boost metabolism, but eating too much of it (depending on your body) may cause heartburn.  Let’s be honest, heartburn can keep anyone up all night long.  Luckily, modern medicine can help like antacids or Prevacid OTC.  Personally, I take the generic brand CVS heartburn medication and it works wonderfully.  For holistic heartburn remedies (disclaimer may not work for all):

a.  Eating raw almonds

b.  Drinking 2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar

4.  Soy like soy sauce, tofu, miso

Just like aged cheese, soy has the highest amount of tyramine.  A little soy during dinner time (7PM) will be okay, but the dinner is Japanese themed like in my house, well, be ready for a restful night.  Honestly, I’ve been eating soy every night since I’ve been born and I’ve never really noticed it being a problem in the sleep department.  Could I be immune?

5.  Ginseng Tea

Teas are a great way to unwind and relax after a hard night of eating, but Ginseng is known to be a stimulant and acts a little bit like coffee.  Most people don’t realize that all teas are not created equally.  People who are sensitive to caffeine should not drink ginseng tea after 11AM, unless they want a long night of tossing and turning.  Other people, usually coffee drinkers, can drink ginseng at night and still have a nice long sleep.  So, this all depends on the person.

6.  Processed or Smoked Meat

First off, we should be eating processed or smoked meat, but in a moment of weakness, don’t eat a deli sandwich and expect to be sleeping like a baby.  Apparently, there is high levels of tyramine and makes the brain release a chemical that makes us feel alert. I don’t know about this one.  I’ve experienced feeling sleepy after eating a hoagie.

There are many other things that can prevent a good night sleep, but for now we’ve tackled foods.  A good rule of thumb, whatever Epic Meal Time is doing, do the exact opposite for a good night rest.  Happy sleep time!

What keeps you up at night (food wise)?

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Pearl City Bike Path: Great For Beginners

Posted by jenkakio on September 26, 2011

  

Ron (@traptinmymind), Faryn, and Me (@jenkakio)

Last Saturday, Ronald (from More Hopeless Than Romantic), Faryn (from Ahi Sandwich Please), and I went on an EPIC bike ride.  Since I’m a beginner at bike riding, we decided to go to a relatively easy bike trail.  Hawai’i doesn’t have a lot of bike path, so when Ron found this on Google, we had to check it out.

Google Map of Pearl City Bike Path

Here is the stats on PCBP:

Distance: From point A to B it’s about 5-6 miles.

Terrain:  Paved

Hours of Operations:  Hawai’i State law states that the bike path is open a half an hour before sunrise and half an hour after sunset.  Summer: 5:30AM-8PM. Fall/Winter/Spring: 6:30AM-7PM.

Parking: There is many places to park, but I prefer Neal Blaisdell Park.  It’s always crowded with people (less chances for your car to be broken into), middle of the bike path, and bathroom/water fountain available.  Despite the crowds at the park, there is a lot of parking all the time.  Another possibility is parking at the many stores around the bike path, like Best Buy, Waimanu shopping center, or Jellys. (Please be aware: cars may be towed at these locations.  Park at your own risk.)

PCBP is a two-way paved bike lane.  Bikers, runners/walkers, and dogs are allowed, but motorized vehicles are not allowed (electrical bike is acceptable).  The starting of the path is very debatable, but I believe it begins at the Aiea Bay State Recreation Area by the Aloha Stadium and ends down the street from Pearl City Walmart.

Beautiful views on the bike path

 

Most of the views on the bike path are amazing.  Since it’s located right by the ocean, it’s easy to get distracted and crash into a patch of grass like I did many of times.

There are some parts of the path that are not as nice as the photo above and I HIGHLY recommend to go in a group two or more.  I wouldn’t go alone.  There are times where the bike path was covered with a canopy of tall trees where the sunlight barely shown through.  I was pedaling about 11 MPH and I felt that someone could jump out of the forest and grab me.  Thankfully, I had Ron and Faryn to protect me.

One of two streets we had to cross

 

Another downside to this bike path is that it doesn’t connect the whole way.  We had to cross two different streets, which didn’t have any crosswalks.  I felt like I was playing frogger.  It kinda breaks the momentum, so be prepared for that.

The most interesting thing about this bike path is the “residential area.”  Along the side of the path, there is a moat by this row of houses.  It was cool.  Many of these house had homemade drawbridges.  There was even schools of fishes in the water.  I wouldn’t eat it, but it was fun to watch them swim.

All in all, this was a great bike path, but I can’t really compare it to anything since this was my first.  The path was easy and flat and it’s too easy for intermediate and advanced riders.  Its safe from the busy streets, but there were some sketchy people drinking and fishing.  We went around 4PM and there was no one on the bike path.  We ended our ride around 6PM and did about 11 miles.

 

We ended our bike ride with a nice sunset.  For another point of view about the Pearl City Bike Path, check out Faryn’s blog.

What are some key elements to a good bike path?

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Meet Emma

Posted by jenkakio on September 22, 2011

HAHA. I'm in my PJs.

Hello, Fluffy2Fit Nation!

My friend Ron from More Hopeless Than Romantic did not like my idea of inline skates.  He was very anti-skates, which I don’t blame him.  Recently, he scored an awesome deal on a Fixie and he suggested that I jump on the bike bandwagon.  We went to four different stores, test drove three bikes, and after four days I brought this bad girl!  I named her Emma.

I bought a Releigh EVA 2.0 from Eki Cyclery.  I was told by Jane that this bike is a “hybrid” bike.  That means this bike is half mountain and half commuter bike, which she said would be good for me since I’m a beginner. They have been in business for 100 years, so I think they know something about bikes.  They were really nice to me and took the time to answer all my questions.  I never felt pressured to buy nor did I ever feel stupid for asking really dumb questions.  As a first time ADULT bike owner, I am pretty satisfied with my purchase.

I am not going to lie, I was nervous purchasing such a huge investment.  Ron reassured me that I will love it.

“How much times have I let you down Jen,” said Ron

“Ahhh….” laughing at Ron

“Shut up. Don’t answer that!” said Ron

Honestly, I believe Ron is right.  I think I’m going to love it and I can’t wait for our EPIC bike ride this Saturday.  Unfortunately, Ryan will be at a retreat, so he won’t be able to join us.  He will be miss, but I’m sure he will join us one day!

I added some cool things to my bike, like a speedometer and bike lock.  Okay, maybe the bike lock is nothing, but the speedometer is pretty cool.  This wireless monitor will tell me how fast I’m going and my mileage.  I want to one day add a GoPro camera to my bike, so I can film my adventure as I ride around the island.

   I’ve already kinda sorta broke my bike and I haven’t even ridden it yet.  Apparently, I forgot to lift the kickstand, while I was rolling my bike to take a picture for this blog post.  Now the kickstand is bent at a 45 degree angle.  Luckily, I have one year warranty on Emma’s parts.  I’m going to be so embarrassed walking in with my broken bike.

Any advice for a new bike owner?

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Motivation For People Like Me

Posted by jenkakio on September 17, 2011

Shay Carl decided that he will lose 50 pound in two months.  Two months later, he is almost at the 50 pound marker and has decided to lose even more weight.  He makes weekly weigh-in videos on his Shayloss YouTube channel and with every passing week I see his belly shrinking and his love for a healthy life grow.

Currently, he is on a biking kick.  He has been riding his bike all over SoCal.  His farthest distance, so far, has been about 35 miles.  Wow, can you imagine where you will be if you rode your bike 30 miles?  I would be around the Aiea/Pearl City area.  Dang, that’s pretty far.

I am easily influenced (if you couldn’t tell by now) and I’ve been interested in buying some kind of transportation device.  Honestly, biking in Hawai’i is not safe.  Hawai’i is not a bike friendly area unlike SoCal.  I am too afraid of getting hit by a car, because I’ve seen it happen to strangers and friends.  I don’t trust myself and my surroundings.  So with that said, I thought about all the things I can “ride”.  Skateboard.  Surfing. Unicycle .  Rollerblades.

I’ve been researching on LiveStrong‘s website and I found that rollerblading has some great health benefits and a great form of cardio.  Plus, rollerblades are much cheaper to buy and maintain than a bike.  I know rollerblading is so the 90′s and it’s not as cool as the hipster bike, but I don’t care.  I rather be healthy/skinny with my lame rollerblades than unhealthy/fat doing nothing at all.

After watching Shay’s You Can Do It video, I feel that I need to keep on going and never give up.  I urge the Fluffy2Fit Nation to move and do something.  If it’s doing abs/core exercise during the commercial break during your favorite TV show or walking around the block for thirty (30) minutes, DO IT.  Don’t let little excuses, like being tired or having so much homework stop you.  We can do this! *fist bump*

What’s your favorite quick exercise?

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I’m A Failure…But I’m Still Going

Posted by jenkakio on September 12, 2011

This month has not been a good month, eating wise.  So far, I’ve been to two food festivals (Greek and Okinawan), which had a heavy emphasis on food.  I couldn’t help myself.  Unfortunately, my exercises were lacking.  I guess the starting of school has made me shift gears a little bit, but now I am back in track.

 I signed up for the Susan G. Komen 5k race.  This is just the first step towards my dream of running a marathon next year.  I hate running.  I am not one of those people who finds clarity when they run.  I wish, but I still strive to become one those people.  My sister and friend, Illusyon from Journey to a Healthier Me will be walk/running the race.

I am really excited for this race.  This race is about 3 miles long.  I can walk 6 miles in an hour, so I’m hoping to do 3 miles in 35 minutes.  I would love to run the whole way, so I am trying to run a little bit everyday.  Let’s just say it isn’t pretty, but I’m going to keep on doing it.

How’s your eating habits this month?

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10 Years Later, We are Better

Posted by Ryan Adverderada on September 11, 2011

Just a 15 year old high school sophmore waking up extra early for a big exam.  The daily ritual was to turn on the tv and start getting ready for school.  That morning was different.  There wasn’t talk of traffic or the weather.  There wasn’t talk of the direction of the Dow Jones.  Instead there were images of a plane hitting a building.  There were images of a hole in the side of the Pentagon.

It didn’t take long for me to realize what was going on.  It was then that I frantically started calling my family.  My cousin was at the time working as a flight attendant for United Airlines.  I knew she had many flights around the New York area so that was the first person I thought of calling.  No response.  I called ten more times.  No answer.  I then called my grandmother, my uncle, and all of my aunts.  Finally one of them answered and said my cousin was alright.  She was in San Francisco and wasn’t working that day.  I would find out later she did lose a friend.

The drive to school was quiet.  The radio blared in the background as commentators tried to sort out the details.  I don’t even remember fighting traffic.  Everyone at school asked each other if they had seen the news, if they had seen the videos and pictures.  I knew then my generation would be different.

We sat through the first few periods just watching the news.  There were no lesson plans, there were no lectures.  The exam, that was cancelled.  Everyone sat there watching the screen, some crying, some silent, all of us touched.

They made an announcement that if anyone needed to see a grief councelor, one would be available.  Being so far removed from the events, I don’t think any of us thought a councelor would matter.  Everyone knew the significance of the event, but at the same time, there was a sense of numbness, 8,000 miles will do that to a person.

Looking back, there are many things I have taken away from the months following that tragic day:  America is a proud nation with a strong and hard-working people.  We persevere through the hard times and always come out stronger and more willing to help others.  In times of extreme circumstances, people will always help others, even if it may not be the best thing for themselves.

Ultimately, there is one major thing that I have learned.  This generation, my generation, has been thrown obstacle after obstacle.  We witnessed the attack on America, we witnessed the economy crash, we witnessed two wars and thousands of lives lost overseas.  The amazing thing?  We are still the most upbeat, optimistic, and forward thinking generation.  We elected the first African-American President.  We created Facebook, Twitter, and just about every social networking site.  We are becoming the doctors, lawyers, and politicians who care more about helping others than ourselves.

WE are the new Greatest Generation.  This country is in good hands.  My generation is stepping up to the plate and taking ownership.  We have seen the depths that this country can hit and we have seen how great this country can be.  There is no doubt in my mind that we are the generation which will change America for the better.  We will not fail, we can not fail.

I challenge every single person of my generation and invoke the message of John F. Kennedy:

ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU, BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY.

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Workout Music Mondays

Posted by jenkakio on September 5, 2011

Hey Fluffy2Fitters…

I hope everyone is staying strong during this 3-day Labor Day weekend.  I am trying to stay strong, but this is a PRIME time for BBQs, food festivals, and shenanigans.  With that said, I tried to double up my workouts.  On Saturday, I was fortunate to go stand up paddle board.  I even VLOGGED about it, so I’ll be sure to edit it and put it up as fast as I can.  So stay tuned for that.

It looks like this week, you will be getting a double dose of music from Ryan and I.  Enjoy.

Here are some songs I’ve been shaking my booty too!

1.  Universal Magnetic [Dave Chappelle's Block Party Remix] by Mos Def feat. Talib Kweli

2.  Get By by Talib Kweli

3.  You’ve Got The Love by Florence + The Machine

4.  Such Great Heights by The Postal Service

5.  *Swearing Alert* No Brakes by Offspring

6.  The Queen and I by Gym Class Heroes

7.  Sun is Shining [Funkstar Deluxe Remix] by Bob Marley

8.  Be By Myself by Asher Roth feat. Cee-Lo Green

9.  Perfect by Mike Taylor

10.  Ex-Girlfriend by No Doubt

There you go…my current top 10.  As usual, it’s all over the place, but that’s how I like my music.  I want to know…

What’s on your playlist?

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Let’s Do Meatless Mondays

Posted by jenkakio on September 2, 2011

 Ms. La Vegan (go follow her on twitter) from Casa De What? inspired me to try Meatless Mondays.  For the past two weeks, I’ve been doing Meatless Mondays.  At first, I thought it would be hard, but now days, it’s easy to go meatless.  I went down to my local health food store, Down to Earth and found some amazing meatless products that actually taste really good!

On Monday, August 29th, I made a quinoa with a tempah kale stirfry.  I didn’t use a recipe, I kinda just winged it (like all my recipes.  LOL)  My measurements may not be exact, I would suggest tasting your food as you cook.

Ingredients:

  • Baby Kale (any size kale)

  • 1 cup of quinoa
  • 1 small onion. (I used purple onion)
  • Marinated Tempeh in the flavor Coconut Curry

  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Salt-Free Mrs. Dash in the flavor Garlic & Herb
  • Soy Sauce
  • Olive Oil or any sauté oil you prefer
  • Walnuts (optional)

 

Prep quinoa:

  • Wash and rince your quinoa
  • Once clean, soak your quinoa for 10 minutes
During the time your quinoa is being soaked, pour 1 and 1/2 cups of water into a pot.  After 10 minutes, drain your quinoa as best as you can.  By now, your pot of water should be boiling.  Add your quinoa.  Wait until the water starts to boil.  Once that happens, turn down to your heat to low-medium heat and cover it with a lid.  Set your timer for 15-20 minutes.  TIP: NEVER ever stir the quinoa.  Just let it simmer.  You may lift up the lid once or twice to see if the quinoa is okay.  In the end, your quinoa should have little air holes everywhere, that’s normal. Another way to know if your quinoa is ready is if all (or most) of the water is gone.  Once all the water has evaporated, stir and take it off the heat.  Your quinoa shouldn’t be watery or mushy.  It should resemble rice.
Prep stirfry:
  • Dice the onions into 1/2 inch squares.  Honestly, any size you want.  Just don’t make them too big.  Think bite size and uniformed pieces.
  • Chop half the box of Tempeh.  Chop them into bite size pieces as well.
  • After that is done, heat up a medium sauce pan with  2 tablespoons of Olive Oil on high heat.
Once the oil is hot, put the onion in the pan.  TIP: To test if the oil is hot enough, stick a wooden spoon into the oil.  When you see tiny bubbles form around the spoon, it’s go time.  No bubbles, don’t put the onions in.
I really wanted Maui Onions, because they are naturally sweet.  But since they weren’t on sale, I choose the purple onions.  The purple onions are not as sweet as Maui Onions, but they are sweeter than the yellow ones.  I like to add a dash of salt on the onions, to make them sweat more.  Then I added two shakes of Mrs. Dash.  Sauté until onions are on the clear side.  Right before you add the Tempeh, taste your onions.  Are they salty sweet?  Yes, good, move on.
Add the Tempah.  Mix it all together.  I fried it about 3-5 minutes, stirring it occasionally.  I added another dash of Mrs. Dash and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce.  I felt that the stirfry was missing pepper, so I added two dashes of pepper.  I turned down the heat to medium and continued to stir everything together for another 3-5 minutes.
 I added two healthy handfuls of baby kelp into the pan.  Once the kelp went into the pan, I turned off the heat.  If the heat is still too strong, I would take it off the burner completely.  I tossed everything together.  Kelp should be wilted, but still bright green.  You don’t want to overcook your kelp.  If it turns dark ugly green, then you cooked it too long.  It’s okay if that happens.  It just doesn’t look as good.  In the end, it should look something like this.
Before plating, taste everything.  At this point, I needed to add just a splash of soy sauce, just to combine the kelp with everything else.  I felt the only thing that this dish was missing was a crunch element.  If I had some walnuts, I would add some diced walnuts to the stirfry, but it still was tasty without it.  Afterwards, your plate should look like this:
Voila!  Meatleass Mondays!  BOOM!
Here is an added bonus:  Watermelon Water
  • Just crush some watermelon into water
Why not next week Monday, you try Meatless Mondays?  What is there to lose?
Do you have a vegetarian/vegan recipe that I should try out for Meatless Mondays?

Posted in Meatless Mondays, Recipes | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

 
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